Our Shepherd Leads Along the Path of Joy

             Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Or do you feel so weak that you’re having trouble lifting your glass?  Let God help you!

            The 23^rd Psalm begins: “The Lord is my shepherd…. 

            How does a shepherd lead his sheep? First of all the sheep must recognize the shepherd’s voice; then they must trust him!  Phillip Keller explains: "The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible to make them lie down unless four requirements are met:

1.      Because of their timid nature they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear.

2.      Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others

3.      If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.

4.      Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel hungry."

            How does this apply to us spiritually? Scripture says that “the Lord is our shepherd and he maketh us to lie down in green pastures.”  

·         We must recognize God’s voice and trust our Shepherd completely, so that we are free from fear.
·         We must allow him to take care of all our pesky problems and our physical needs.
·         When troubles come, and the enemy assaults us, it is so easy to get our eyes off God and obsess over our problems. But as our Shepherd, God faithfully guards and guides His sheep, and provides for us. 
·         And we should feed on the Word of God so that we will know the right choices to make.

            Listen to the Shepherd as he leads you along the path of JOY!